Michael marched forward with heavy, confident strides, his broad back providing a steady, solid seat for my small frame. We finally approached the entrance of a massive, heavily guarded room tucked deep within the hidden bowels of the castle. The level of security here was unlike anything I had seen before. Two giant guards stood like stone pillars on either side of the thick metal door. They didn't wear traditional pack armor; instead, they were dressed in sleek black suits and wore thick medical nose masks, looking as if they were desperately trying to protect themselves from a dangerous, airborne virus. Dark sunglasses covered their eyes, making them look completely robotic and unreadable.
The very second Michael stepped into their line of sight, the guards snapped to attention, their
